Founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank, a 23-year-old former special teams captain of the University of Maryland football team, Under Armour has grown into a powerhouse clothing brand. From its humble beginnings in Plank's grandmother's basement in Washington, DC, Under Armour is now synonymous with high quality sporting and casual clothing.

The roots of Under Amour are founded in need, as a fullback at the University of Maryland, Plank got tired of having to change out of the sweat-soaked T-shirts worn under his jersey; however, he noticed that his compression shorts worn during practice stayed dry. This inspired him to make a T-shirt using moisture-wicking synthetic fabric. After graduating from the University of Maryland, Plank developed his first prototype of the shirt, which he gave to his Maryland teammates and friends who had gone on to play in the NFL. Plank soon perfected the design creating a new T-shirt built from microfibers that wicked moisture and kept athletes cool, dry, and light. Today, Under Armour dominates the sports and casual clothing landscape with their high quality tee shirts, hoodies, shorts, jackets and hats.